Ocean waves can be powerful and disruptive.

Waves of innovation are similar.

Riding them requires the right timing, technology, and team.

Opportunities are approaching fast, and we are just getting started.

This is NextWave.

We are a seed to early stage venture capital firm focused on commercializing university research and advanced technologies. We are the founders, investors, and operators.

Timing

How We Invest

Stage

Our investment sweet spot is the seed to early stage. We form new companies around university based patents developed through non-dilutive government funding.

Focus

We take advantage of innovation gaps within large commercial markets. Our investments span sectors from ambient computing to advanced materials, artificial intelligence to digital media, and IoT to 3D bioprinting.

Size

Our seed investments range from $500K to $1.5M, series A investments from $1M to $4M, and series B from $5 to $7M. We have the ability to invest in larger follow on rounds with syndicate partnerships.

Structure

We are an investor-friendly fund with no management fees. Our structure allows us to mitigate risk through active operation, shared resources, and low over-head.

Technology

What We Invest In

We have access to hundreds of university labs across the U.S. through the strategic relationships and network we've built. We have some amazing companies that we've started, and some exciting technologies in the pipeline. Here's a peek.

Quad Geometrics

Sensors for Monitoring Natural Gas Reservoirs

SmartFoam

Intelligent Piezoelectric Foam

Apical Technology

Artifical Intelligence Software for Trading Platforms

Team

Who We Are

Management Team

Ideas are cheap. Execution is hard. That's why we like to roll up our sleeves and build things that work. We all have backgrounds as investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and operators. We have strong relationships and a network that can generate anchor customers. Most importantly, we know how to execute.

Scientific Team

We have a lot of subject matter experts. Really smart individuals with deep technical knowledge about complicated technologies and how best to apply them to solve current problems. We feel lucky for the chance to collaborate with such brilliant people.

Peter Curley, PhD

Director, Technology Platforms

Joseph Wang PhD

Advisor, Nanobioelectronics

Patrick Mercier, PhD

Advisor, Wearable Sensors

Donald J. Sirbuly, PhD

Advisor, Nanostructured Piezoelectrics

Matthew Dzieciuch, PhD

Advisor, Complex Signal Processing

Advisory Team

We know what we know, and know what we don’t. So we focus on what we can be the best at. Our advisory board is built with members that round out our shortcomings. They have unique insights and experience across a variety of industries.

The venture capital firm recently announced plans to put more than $6 million into SmartFoam and a second company based on UC San Diego technology called MouthSense. (MouthSense hopes to commercialize salivary sensor technology created by two other engineering professors.)

'MouthSense' and 'SmartFoam,' two new inventions by engineers in the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego, have attracted funding from NextWave Venture Partners, a venture-capital firm specializing in the commercialization of early-stage technologies.

NextWave envisions a test where patients could place the sensor on their tongue to get readings on blood oxygen, blood glucose and uric acid – potential indicators of diabetes and gout. The technology also could be used to monitor athletes' hydration or stress levels in soldiers and pilots.

Triple Bottom Line

NextWave has always aspired to invest with a purpose and serve the triple bottom line. The elements of the triple bottom line are often referred to as people, profits, and planet. This means that we actively build companies to not only include a financial return, but also aligning them with social and environmental issues that we’re passionate about.